Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Politics

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    Surge in Support for Social Safety Net

    Support for government programs to help disadvantaged Americans, as well as sympathy for the plight of the poor, have surged since 1994 and returned to levels last seen in 1990 prior to welfare reform, with gains occurring among virtually every major social, political and demographic group. Read full analysis at Pewresearch.org

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    The Republicans Can’t Possibly Win in ’08…or Can They?

    Republicans are facing an increasingly difficult political terrain in 2008. Yet horse race polls are showing that leading Republican candidates match up pretty well against the Democratic front runners. There are several reasons for this, but the bottom line is that Republicans can be competitive in 2008 — if their nominee is seen as an […]

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    The GOP’s Invisible Men

    Summary of Findings Heading into their first debate Thursday evening, what Republican candidates for the presidency need most is to gain visibility. The latest News Interest Index survey finds that two Democratic candidates – Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – continue to be far and away the most visible, even to Republicans. When asked to […]

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    Motherhood Today: Tougher Challenges, Less Success

    Summary of Findings From managing busy schedules to dealing with outside influences, mothers have their hands full these days. There is broad agreement among the public that it is harder to be a parent today – especially a mother – than it was in the 1970s or 1980s. Fully 70% of the public says it […]

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    Both Sides Reject Compromise in Iraq Funding Fight

    Summary of Findings With battle lines drawn over legislation funding the Iraq war, the public is showing little appetite for compromise. Overall, a solid majority of Americans (59%) continue to say they want their representative to support a bill calling for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq by August 2008, while just a third want […]

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    Widespread Interest in Virginia Tech Shootings

    Summary of Findings The shootings at Virginia Tech University overshadowed all other news stories last week – both in terms of coverage and public interest. Fully 45% of Americans paid very close attention to the tragedy and 56% said it was the single news story they followed more closely than any other last week. However, […]